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A Long Road to Fortune/Issue 17
This is the fifth issue in Volume 3 of A Long Road to Fortune. It is titled Shades of Color. 10 years ago... The sun was blazing the town of Tecpan, and one hard working mechanic was enduring it as best as he could. He was a call-in and drop off mechanic who you could either drop off your machinery to or have him come to your house and he would fix it there. The mechanic went by the name of Mr. Chet. He was currently fixing a motor in his front porch, watching as the day went on. Sweat dripping from his forehead into his stained ribbed white tank top and working jeans. He wiped the sweat off of himself and set his wrench down. Instead, he went on to pick up a bottle of water and took a nice big drink out of it. He worked on such machinery everyday and each day having people walking by him, waving hello, as they were all but weary of him. There was one particular visitor Mr. Chet spotted everyday single though, it was a young boy. Looked to be around 7 with the darkest head of hair he had ever seen and he always wore very nice clothes. Everyday he did the same, walk by Mr. Chet's house while bouncing around a very pretty red ball. The ball was the envy of all other boys. It was rounder than an orange, bounced better than any rubber ball, and the nice Pikachu printed on it was just icing on the cake. You would think that this boy would have been happy with such a toy but everyday he had the same, lonely, depressed look on his face. Mr. Chet could only wonder as to why. Was he stubborn, stuck up? No, he thought. The boy was too sad to be pouting. Mr. Chet could only be left wondering by the boy. Issue 17 It has been exactly one week since the attempted "attack" on the marketplace. The atmosphere and appearance surrounding it has changed drastically. As we last saw it, the marketplace had only 24 survivors inhabiting it. With Gustavo's faction now on board, that number had drastically grown to 46. Gustavo and his people had become a big help on the marketplace, which has now expanded to the soccer field and the streets that lead to the zocalo, not including La Reforma. Everyone now had jobs. There were now 7 supply runners, Ashton, Mr. Chet, Valdez, and Francisco included. While Jose now had 5 of Gustavo's people and Juarez helping him, Jaime, and Aguila with the walls, which had seen the addition of 3 more of them blocking the way to La Reforma and the zocalo. Mendoza was sitting in his office, looking out a hole in the wall. He could see that Leslie and Jacobo had become acquainted with another couple that was formerly part of Gustavo's faction and then, there was little Paco. No children were brought in after Gustavo joined but him, Max, the Galeana twins, and the Suares kids were much happier with having much more room to play. Mendoza was still uncertain of what the future would bring them with these recent developments. He still did not trust Gustavo but he was willing to give him a chance. After all, the way him and his people have contributed was excruciatingly helpful. A little too helpful. For him, it was too good to be true. "Jaime, status report" he demanded. His fellow soldier stoop up straight with both his arms straight and nearly glued to his body. "Sir, the walls are in perfect condition. There have been very few groseros popping up in all the walls" News too good to be true. "That it Jaime? These news seem relatively perfect. If life's taught me one thing, it's that nothing can be perfect, in spite of everything that happens" Jaime took a deep breath and changed his serious look to a half sad one. "One of our supply runners hasn't come back ye, from yesterday's run" "Which one?" Mendoza asked. As righteous as he was, he was secretly hoping for this supply runner to be that kind, but lonely spirit. "One of Texta's, sir. The man with the beard. I can't recall his name" "Neither can I" Mendoza sat down and put his feet on his desk. "What's been done about it?" "We sent Ashton and Valdez to look for him about an hour ago" "I see." Mendoza placed his feet back on the floor and sighed. "What did I tell you Jaime? Nothing can be perfect. Life's the biggest bitch. No place for hope or fortune in it, specially now" Jaime did not respond to his superior which was fine with Mendoza. Mendoza could perfectly recall all the things he would while in his time as a military sergeant. Deal with narcos, mass murderers, even a couple "terrorists", or so his superiors told him. His biggest enemy however was the epitome of greed, evil, and politics. Mendoza could not go a day without facing corruption. He loved his country but it was a damned place, THAT he very well knew. ---- Mr. Chet sat down on an old barrel in the same spot he was ready to go to war in a week ago. The observant man knew that the marketplace was doing well now that his old military ally was part of it, although he still didn't trust him. After all, he had seen both sides of Gustavo Texta, the good and the ugly, with a large majority of the latter overtaking his memories. Gustavo himself was nowhere to be seen. He could be piling boxes or helping Jacobo and Pedro burn groseros. All he knew was that during this peaceful moment he did not have to deal with that outrageous man. A peaceful moment. A fortunate moment. Could it really be? No. The man had something else occupying his thoughts. When he wasn't fighting for his life and those of others, he could not help but think about his little Anna. She wasn't little anymore. She was 20 and on her second year of studying medicine. She could grow all she wanted but he'd always remember her as child. The child he owed his fortune to. The child that was not here. The child he did not know to be alive or dead. The child that now caused him grief. It had been about 3 three months since Mr. Chet last heard from Anna, before more shit fell on top of an already shitty world. Nothing hurt him more than not knowing about her true fate. How could he call himself a father and not even be there for his own blood when it was very clear that she needed him the most. She needed him just as he need her. "God damn it" he murmured to himself. ---- Mario Galeana was slumped over a wall. How he hated Gustavo and his posse. He wanted them gone. As far away from the twins as possible. They were really all he cared about. "I never thought to find you here" Jose said, clearly being sarcastic. "What do you want. I'm not in the mood for your crap." Mario replied "That's the problem guy, you're never in the mood for my crap. Or anyone's crap. Without crap, you don't even have shit!" he added. He laughed at his own joke but all Mario did in return was light up a smoke. "Man, you worry me. The women and kids help around more than you and you smoke 20 cancer bites a day. I don't even know where you get all your cigarettes from man. And I don't know or want to know what you'll do when you finally run out. Probably kill someone." "Maybe" Mario replied. Both men chuckled. Mario finally showed emotion to his only friend in the apocalypse. Jose didn't know why Mario was angry. He had known the man for a very long time. All of his memories amounted to the same angry and violent man. Jose could not help but bond further with his friend now in the apocalypse. "You really worry me man. You know that right?" Jose said. "That sounds like it's your problem" Mario replied. His cigarette was put out by a stream of cold wind. Didn't matter, he could just lit another. "Come on you piece of shit. Ah fuck." Mario said when his lighter finally stopped lighting. Mario got up and crushed the damn thing with his foot. "I'm going to go look for some fucking matches" he said. ---- Ashton and Valdez were currently located in that lovely fortunate alley by the pharmacy in La Reforma, looking at a grosero. A bearded grosero that had been so badly deformed that it couldn't move. The torture imposed on the former human being was unbearable. Two fresh meals for the taking right in front of him, to remain forever unreachable. "Yep. That's our guy. Poor Beardy, hardly knew ye" Valdez had said. "It's terrible. And in this place..." "You mean the alley? What's with you and this place man? Do you really hate it that much? I got my first suck here. I have nothing but love for this amazing alley" "Valdez, I didn't need to know that" "Boy, it's not my fault you haven't gotten any" "Do you ever talk about anything else other than sex? You put it into every conversation we've ever had." "Man don't do that to me. I'm deeper than that." "I'm not doing anything. It's all you" Ashton then sighed. "Anyway, his bag's over there." Valdez went to pick it up and shake it. "Empty?" "Yup. Beardy, you should have let Mr. Chet gone with you." Valdez crushed the former supply runner's head with his foot. Ashton did not resonate with Valdez' method of killing their former ally. "You could have put him down differently." "Like I'm the only crushing skulls around here." Valdez replied. "Now come on bro, we have to actually find some food and water." "I actually think we should probably head back now" Ashton replied. Valdez looked annoyed, something Ashton noticed and took disapproval in. Then, Valdez suddenly changed his worried look to that of a prankster's. "Gullible motherfucker" Valdez said. Ashton sighed again. "Valdez you're hopeless" "At least I've gotten some before" Valdez replied again. Both boys then went on to finally leave the accursed alley. ---- Back at the marketplace, Francisco carried a water bottle on his hand. His false look of self-confidence had finally crumbled after Yuri's shooting. He decided againsnt pretending he was something he's not. That kind of act got you killed nowadays. He used to like it because it made him feel strong yet at the same time he knew he was not. It didn't matter now. Francisco proceeded to enter a tent in the upper part of the marketplace, to deliver the water bottle to his lucky comrade. "Hey. How are you feeling?" "Better. I can kind of move arm around now." Yuri replied. She had been in bed for about a week after Liza nearly killed her. She was saved by Ashton and his first aid. The medical care bought the time she needed to be properly taken care of in the marketplace. Her entire left arm had a sling around it to restrict articulate movements as much as possible. "Please don't. Yuri, keep your arm still." Francisco said in response. "Relax. I'm going to be okay. We're all going to be okay now. We're behind safer walls, we have people doing jobs now. We're almost a community. It's amazing Francisco. For once ever since this pandemic began, I have hope. I feel so fortunate for everyone." she replied with a soothing, calm tone. Francisco could not help but crack a lovey smile in return. "I guess I was too close-minded to see the big picture". Francisco replied. "I'll be happy as long as you are and I will have hope as long as you have it." Yuri smiled in return to Francisco's words. "Thank you my dear nurse. If you see Ashton, tell him I want to thank him for saving me back there. To think, we were supposed to kill him. Bristol almost did. I can't say I'm not sad about what happened to him, but maybe that kid is not as bad as everyone makes him out to be." She said. One of the handful of people who truly appreciated Ashton. "I still don't know about that. I will admit though, it did surprise me that he managed to take out Bristol." "Wouldn't you do have done the same? Self-defense." "Of course. It just, depends..." Francisco added. It really depended on who he was defending himself from. He imagined trying to defend himself from someone like Mr. Chet and became covered in Goosebumps. "Has the girl said anything to you?" Yuri asked Francisco, clearly referring to Liza. "No. And I don't want her to. She better stay the hell away from us. If she knows what's good for her" Francisco clenched his fist. Yuri became uneasy. "She did what she did out of love. I don't hold anything against her." "You don't Yuri, but I do. I don't care if it was love or if she was just on a killing spree. Nothing justifies her. To me she's a rabid dog I'll put down if it tries to bite" he replied. Yuri had a hard time believing Francisco. Francisco had a hard time believing himself. ---- Liza sits in her shack, slumped against a wall with her arms on her knees. Her eyes pointed towards the rifle. She took joy in shooting groseros with it. Watching their bodies fall. It was okay, they weren't human anymore. They could not be reasoned with and they could not be tolerated either. Killing them was fine, that didn't scare Liza. What truly scared her was how much she enjoyed pulling the trigger on Yuri and how close she was to murder until Ashton snapped her out of it. It really hit her, how much the apocalypse was changing her. She could go through with murder now, she knew it. Self-defense, or not. What Ashton would think of this, she did not know. Part of her didn't care though. She was only abiding by Darwin's law of natural selection. Adapting to survive. She couldn't adapt though, something stood in her way. Her parents. She was their innocent, respecting and loving daughter Liza who they could not be more proud of. Maybe, she had to eliminate this memory. She couldn't be this Liza anymore. This Liza wouldn't last much longer, however, the other Liza could. Yuri was what she needed to take the first step towards change. As in-humanizing as it sounded. "No. No. No. No." she said to herself, over and over. ---- It was time to go. The marketplace didn't need him anymore. Even if Gustavo was now hanging around, Mendoza could keep an eye on him by himself. Packing his stuff for the final time, Mr. Chet left his room in search of Mendoza. Mendoza was still sitting in his office, peeking out the hole. Gustavo was just talking to some of his people, making them laugh. For some reason, this made him even more weary of him. "Jorge, it's time I go. I need to know if Anna is alive or not." Mendoza took a deep breath with his eyes closed before speaking back. "I always knew, sorry no. Hoped this day would come. When you finally decided to leave because you'd be leaving us in a good spot." Mendoza replied. Mr. Chet was surprised to say the least. "Jorge, you're fine with my decision?" "Yes, I am. You're a man on a mission Joaquin. I don't have the right to stop you. You're not one of my soldiers. But you are one friends, a friend I want to see happy." Mendoza got up and walked to Mr. Chet. He placed his right hand on his left shoulder and proceeded to finish his sentiments. "It's been a pleasure having you Joaquin. I won't stop you anymore." "Thank you Jorge..." Mr. Chet replied. 10 years ago... It was nearly sundown in Tecpan and the orange skies covered the town. Mr. Chet was long done with his motor, fixed to function better than new. He took this time to relax and gaze upon the now darker orange skies. They almost looked crimson, a nice shade of red. Everything was fine until someone caught his eye again. It was the same little boy from earlier. This time, covered in bruises. His nice clothes were now dirty, and the biggest change of all, his precious red ball was no longer with him. His expression stayed the same though, as if he could care less. This child was gloomy, gloomier than any child should be. Mr. Chet got up and called out to the boy. "Hey, son. Are you alright?". The boy looked up at him, his expression remaining static. "Sure.". "I couldn't help but notice that your ball is gone. Mind telling me what happened to it?". The boy nodded, with the same look on his face. "I gave it to the other kids." he replied. "Son, are you lying to me? I don't know why, but I don't think you simply gave it to them." Mr. Chet replied. The boy turned his body around to face Mr. Chet as opposed to just his face. "They hit for it. It's okay. They were playing with me." the boy said. This kid was single-handedly making Mr. Chet feel sad. The way he showed no emotion, it was uncanny. "My name's Joaquin, but you can call me Mr. Chet if you want. The boy simply stood there without replying, even though Mr. Chet expected him too. "What's yours?" Mr. Chet had to ask the boy. "Ashton" the kid replied. "Ashton huh? That's a pretty unique name for a tecpaneco." The boy simply shrugged in reply. Mr. Chet took a liking to the lonely kid. "I'll tell you what. Why don't I introduce you to my Anna. The two of you can play an actual game. How's that sound?" Mr. Chet asked Ashton. Ashton's eyes widened and he finally smiled. "Okay." Category:A Long Road to Fortune Category:Issues Category:A Long Road to Fortune Issues Category:PBR Sharpshoot Stories